The Devil Returns
by kbraddock
Summary: The devil of hell's kitchen is gone and the kingpin he fought so hard to put away has escaped from prison. What will become of Matthew Murdock's beloved city?
1. Chapter 1 - Josie's

**A/N:** This is my first attempt to write for Daredevil. This is ultimately going to help me not go crazy as we all patiently wait for the third season. This story takes place directly after The Defenders. If you haven't seen The Defenders yet, this is your spoiler alert!

 **Chapter One - Josie's**

* * *

It was a Sunday afternoon in Hell's Kitchen and a familiar scene within Josie's Bar. Regulars sat at high-tops sipping beer watching the Patriots play the Rams, as Josie poured peanuts into bowls for everyone.

"How ya doin,' hun?" She asked the blonde-haired man. He sat alone, two pint glasses empty, a third on its way. He wore a baby blue shirt and tie, both of which were wrinkled, his expression worn and tired.

"Never been better." He replied before he downed the last of his third beer.

Josie frowned. "You want another?"

He stacked his third glass into the other two. "Yes… and I'll also take a shot of whiskey." He tapped on his chest with his fist, holding back a burp. "The cheap stuff, Josie." He finished as he looked up at her with half a grin.

Josie nodded, took his empty glasses and left. He looked back down at the packet of paperwork in front of him. He stared at the title like he had every day for the last six months, unwilling to open it and read its contents.

He wondered if he'd really be able to do it today, if he'd finally be able to read,

'The Last Will and Testament of Matthew Michael Murdock.'

"Foggy?"

His eyes shot up at the gentle, familiar voice. "Karen." He replied as he stood. There was a brief moment of silence as the two studied each other carefully. Karen sighed as she wrapped her arms around him. He embraced her right back. "It's so good to see you." She told him.

She hugged him tightly, pulling away a minute later. Her left hand remained on his shoulder. "It's good to see you too." He replied. There was another moment of silence as the two looked at each other with sympathetic eyes.

Foggy pulled out the chair closest to her. "Here, have a seat."

"Thanks." She said as she sat down.

He quickly covered up his best friend's will with his leather notebook.

"So, uh… how have you been, Karen?"

"I've been okay." She replied as she pushed part of her hair back behind her ear and nodded. "Just working… hard. They have me covering sports, which I don't really enjoy but... it's paying my bills." She grinned as she placed her purse on the seat next to her. "How about you? You still fighting the good fight?"

"Fighting." He replied with a disbelieving laugh. "Surviving is more like it."

"Here ya go." Josie intervened as she delivered Foggy's beer and shot of whiskey. She looked over at Karen. "Nice to see ya again, hun. You want anything?"

Karen was about to say no but Foggy interjected. "You should order something… you might want it soon."

She gave him a curious look, "Okay… yeah. A beer would be great, Josie. Whatever's lightest on tap."

Josie nodded and left again.

"What's going on, Foggy?" She asked, leaning in closer to him. She waited for his response but it never came. "We haven't seen each other in months and then you text me to come here completely out of the blue. No explanation..."

"I know." Foggy cut in as Karen watched him take back his shot of whiskey with a look of concern.

"I need your help." He replied as he let out a stiff breath in response to the shot. "There's something I haven't been able to do…" He slowly told her as he stared at his leather notebook and began to push it away. "Maybe if you're with me…. I can."

She reached over and placed her hand on his. The two locked eyes before she looked back down at the notebook and pushed it out of the way for him. Her mouth fell slightly ajar as she read the title of the paperwork now in view.

She pulled Matt's will towards her. "How long have you had this, Foggy?" She asked in just above a whisper as she pushed her hair back once more.

"A few years." He replied, staring at the title again. "Matt gave it to me about a year before we started the firm." He paused as he let out another laugh of disbelief. "I never thought I'd ever really have to read it… but this was before I found out he moonlighted as a masked superhero too."

"Do you want me to open it?" Karen asked as she looked back up at him with concern. Foggy was fiddling with his empty shot glass, his gaze fixed upon it.

"Foggy?"

He looked up at her then. "I do… but not here."

"Where?"

"His place."

"Oh…" She replied softly. "You still have a key?"

Foggy nodded before a long moment of silence ensued between them. Karen's eyes migrated back toward the will sitting in her hands. She looked back up at him then. "Alright, let's go."


	2. Chapter 2 - The Devil's Lair

**Chapter Two - The Devil's Lair**

* * *

It was almost 10:30PM and heavy footsteps could be heard making their way up rickety stairs. Foggy Nelson and Karen Page were making their way up to their fallen friend's former home, the feeling of dread more than present in the pit of their stomachs.

"Have you been here?" Karen asked as she walked behind Foggy.

"Since he died?" Foggy replied. "Yeah… once."

Karen didn't reply as a moment of silence came and went.

"I cleaned up his place." Foggy started again, quickly glancing down at her. "In case… well… you know."

She frowned in response as the two made it to Matt's door. Foggy turned around and put his hand on her shoulder. "You ready for this?"

Her eyes migrated from the floor back to his. She let out a long breath through her nostrils as she nodded. "Alrighty." He said as he turned the key and walked inside the apartment first. He held the door open for her as she walked in and looked around.

"It's all…" She began softly as she let her fingers run along the course canary yellow wall of the foyer. "Just as it was before."

Foggy nodded with half a grin in response. He turned a couple of lights on in the living room as Karen set her purse down on the counter in the kitchen.

"Would you like another beer?" Foggy asked as she continued to look around the living room. "Matt still has a six pack… well, more like a four pack since the last time I was here."

"Uh, yeah. Sure." She replied before sitting down on the taupe leather couch. She placed her hand on the faded moss green pillow next to her, pulling it closer. She put it up to her nose, her nostrils taking in the natural scent of the man she once loved. She lowered the pillow and laid it on her lap as Foggy handed her a beer.

"You sure you're up to this?" Foggy asked before taking a sip of his own beer. "We don't have to… not tonight… if you don't want to, you know." He let Matt's will fall onto the coffee table as he finished.

"No…" She quickly replied with a pause. "We should. We need to. What if there's something in there that's important, that has a time frame on it. We need to make sure Matt's wishes are met."

Foggy shook his head in disappointment as he sat down in one of the brown suede chairs across from her. "You're right… and now I feel like a real asshole for not opening it sooner."

"Foggy…" She began in a sympathetic tone. "You're allowed time to grieve."

He looked down at his hands, both sitting in his lap as they cradled his beer. She continued on, "I know that this has been harder on you than anyone. He was your best friend after all… and you were all he had for so long… if he were here he wouldn't blame you for waiting to do this."

"Then why do I still feel so bad?" He shot back. "How could I let him go back out there?" He shook his head again as he pointed toward the window. "I not only let him, I _enabled_ him!" Foggy was beginning to break, his composure threatening to surface into the anger he'd been withholding for months.

"Foggy…" Karen tried to soothe but he continued on.

"Karen, I gave it to him… I gave him the suit that day at the precinct before they all left for Midland Circle." Foggy stood, looking away from her as he downed the rest of his beer before slamming it on the coffee table. "I came here… I packed it up in a bag and took it right to him. Why did I do it?" He paused again before placing his hands on his hips and looking right back at her. Tears were threatening his cheeks. "Why did I want him to be Daredevil?"

Karen stood then too and took a few steps closer to him. He shook his head again, this time in a manner of frustration. She pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back as she tried to fight her own tears. "Because you knew that's what he needed." She told him softly into his ear. "... Because you knew that's what we all needed, Foggy." He embraced her back, the two holding each other for a moment.

Foggy nodded in silence before being the first to pull away. "Let's read this." He told her before heading over to the fridge for another beer.

Karen sat back down on the couch. She quickly wiped her eyes before pushing her long, blonde locks behind her back. Foggy sat down next to her and took a sip of his beer as she reached for Matt's will. She placed it in her lap, her fingers gliding along the title as she read it once more. She looked to her left at Foggy who gave her a nod of approval. She nodded right back and opened up Matt's will. Foggy looked ahead at the splattered painting on the wall opposite of them and silently wondered why Matt or even himself had never bothered to straighten it. He could hear Karen flipping through pages and yet he still couldn't look down at the will himself.

"Foggy..."

"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes migrating back towards her.

"You really should read this." Karen told him. "This..." She shook her head as she fought back tears again. "This was truly meant to be read by you."

She closed the will but kept her thumb as a marker for the page she was referring to. She handed it to him as he set his beer down on the coffee table.

He took the will from her, let out a deep breath and opened it up to the page she had just read.

He didn't realize what he was about to read would resonate with him for the rest of his life.


End file.
